


Goddess of Dawn

by PerriewinkleNerdie



Category: Open Heart (Visual Novel)
Genre: Angst, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Illegal Activities, Swearing, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-05
Updated: 2020-01-01
Packaged: 2020-11-24 07:17:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20903765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerriewinkleNerdie/pseuds/PerriewinkleNerdie
Summary: An unconscious man is found outside the hospital. No one knows who he is, who left him there or what happened. Strange symptoms make it impossible for Ethan to diagnose him. It just so happened that there is one doctor that can help. And she seems to know who the man is.





	1. I

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, hello, hello!  
Back from the other side of the first week of uni! Not much time to live or write, so, to not leave anyone hanging, I decided to reach into my secret stash... a secret AU I've been working on.   
Enjoy! <3

Rain was falling heavily from the sky, thick clouds coloring the world with grey colors and deep shadows. Puddles of water and mud covering the streets, shoes sinking into the ground. The ER was busting at seems, people coming and going, doctors struggling not to trip over one another.

Ethan moved from one room to another, placing quick but careful steps as to avoid slipping on the wet floor. He stopped by the entrance to the hospital, taking a deep breath of the fresh air. The coldness embraced him, making him shiver, his thin white coat providing not enough comfort to keep him warm.

The apparent tranquility was severed quickly by the screeching sound of tires scraping against the asphalt. It all happened quickly and quietly, the door of the car opened, a pair of hands pushed the black bag out onto the ground and then, as quickly as it appeared, it vanished, the movement showering the dark mass on the ground in dirty liquid. For a moment the world stood still, until someone approached the strange object and screamed at the top of their lungs.

“It’s a body! Help, somebody help! I think I see blood!”

His body kicked into the fifth gearshift, throwing him forward before he knew what he was doing. Ethan fell to his knees, untying the knot at the top of the bag and pushing the material away, revealing a young man. No more than twenty-eight years of age, his face deformed, nose probably broken, his lips opened as he breathed unevenly. Ethan ran his eyes over the body, searching for the source of bleeding, and sure enough, a wound that seemed to have been caused by a bullet was roaring on the side of the chest of a young man.

Without a moment of hesitation, he picked him up, having previously made sure that he didn’t have any spine fractions, and, as fast as he could, carried him inside. The ER didn’t have empty beds, so he had no choice other than taking his patient to the OR to examine what was wrong. The man was conscious, but couldn’t see to talk, and every question Ethan directed at him was answered by silence. He called for a team of surgeons, letting them take over as he finished the initial examination.

A bullet wound, etched deeply between the ribs. His pupils were blown wide, which indicated that he may have been under the influence of some drug.

He requested a CBC and drug tests, then left the room, letting his colleagues do their work. That’s all he could have done, and now all he could do was wait. In the meantime, he decided to go and ask if anyone knew who the patient was, any clue that could help them understand what happened.

The first thing that came to Ethan’s mind was some sort of a gang activity, most likely a revenge that didn’t come to its fruition yet, because the man was still alive. The way the body was discarded, like a bag of waste, like useless garbage, it made him shiver. The man was young, and regardless of who he was, regardless of what he did or didn’t do, he didn’t deserve what happened to him.

Hours later, when the operation was over, he got the lab results back. No diseases, nothing genetic, drug tests came back negative. Nothing was conclusive, symptoms weren’t adding up, confusing him even more. No matter where he looked, it all led to a dead end, and at that moment he knew that he wouldn’t be able to figure it out on his own. He needed help.

And he knew just who to ask. Just as the thought entered his brain, a blonde braid came into his view, a bright smile greeting him, her eyes sparkling.

“You look conflicted. Did something happen?” Claire’s voice broke through a thick mist of his thoughts, standing next to him.

Claire… Claire has quickly become a significant part of his life. Over the past two years, they went through their fair share of experiences, with her earning a place on his team, which remained hers to this day, her work outstanding and her contribution to medicine tremendous. Of course, having her so close to him was not the easiest thing for him to do, as they both harbored feelings for each other. It would have been much less painful if he could hate her, if he could avoid her, but that was impossible. Whether he liked it or not, he seemed to be locked with her in an impasse, and all roads apparently lead to disaster and pain.

Despite the tension that filled the air every time they were in the same room, despite the sparks that lit up his body every time they touched, they somehow managed to last two years without breaking the promise they made to each other the evening of their first day back after the trial. That they would not compromise their careers and lives of their patients by giving in to desires that were fleeting.

Except they were not fleeting.

Seven hundred and thirty days. Seven hundred and thirty days of remembering how good it felt to have her in his arms, how her lips tasted, how he fit with her like two pieces of the same puzzle. The sounds she made during those nights of passion, ringing through his ears at all times of the night and day. And then they put a lid on it all, sealing the past with a lock, throwing away the key. All would be perfect, if it wasn’t for the fact that the key seems to have bounced off the wall it was thrown at and the lock was getting rusty, easy to break if enough pressure was applied.

“Ethan? Are you okay?” Claire’s voice broke through to him again, pulling him back into reality. Her eyes were trained on him, a few lines appearing on her forehead. Judging by the tingling sensation he felt in his arm, she was touching him.

“Huh?”

“You drifted away. One second you were here, and the other you were on the other side of the universe. Come back to me, Doctor.” She laughed a little, shaking her head at him. “Okay, so what’s going on? Tough case?”

He looked down at the file in front of him, using his hands as support as he leaned over the table. She joined him, her body mimicking his actions, so they were at a comparable level of vision. They observed the results in science, both deep in thoughts.

“I was meaning to ask for your opinion, because I don’t see _anything_ in here. Nothing makes sense, nothing adds up. I mean, look-“ he pointed out one of the tests written on the paper at the same time as she reached in the same direction, and their fingers brushing against one another briefly.

Almost as though they were electrocuted, they jumped back and away from each other, their heads turned towards opposite directions to avoid eye contact. He cleared his throat, choosing to be the first one to break the awkward silence.

“So, um, any ideas as to what it might be?” he questioned, observing as her muscles tensed visibly all of a sudden. When she turned around, she had a haunted look in her eyes, like she was reliving a painful memory.

“I- I think I saw something like this before, but I’m not sure what it was. Who is the patient?” she clearly tried to control her voice but couldn’t help the break in it as she asked for the identity of a man whose results they were discussing.

“That’s the thing. I don’t know. He was thrown out of the car in front of the ER a few hours ago. I saw it happen myself, it was me that brought him in and took him as my patient. I asked if there was any ID on him, but they found nothing. At least for now, he’s John Doe. With some sort of condition that no one can diagnose and a bullet hole between his ribs.” He mused, remembering how bloodied his white coat was after he left the OR room and went to his office. “If I had to guess, some drug cartel fights.” He added, noticing how her whole posture straightened considerably at the mention of an illegal activity.

Claire was awfully quiet, something clearly on her mind. He saw her struggling before, saw the look of despair and sadness on her face when she wanted to save a patient but couldn’t. This, however, was something different. This seemed like a reason enough to make her stop in her tracks, to wipe everything else clean from her mind, leaving only the problem itself. Before he could ask her what the matter was, she turned to him, her face straight again, a desperate attempt to cover up her real feelings.

“Can you take me to him? Maybe we’ll be able to read more from his chart.” Her words seemed small, unsure, like she wasn’t certain if she even wanted to know who the victim was. He nodded, pointing with his arm to lead them both out of the room.

Walk through the halls was quiet. Claire didn’t mention anything about what was on her mind, and he didn’t push, because he wasn’t sure what was the case in the first place, and he didn’t want to overstep. The door was closed when they reached their destination, and it was her that reached for the doorknob first, not giving him a chance to even think about doing so.

She took a hesitant step into the room, her eyes focusing on the silhouette of a man on the bed. If he was confused by the whole situation before, now he reached new heights of perplexity. A shrieking sound escaped Claire’s lips as she threw herself in the direction of a man. She leaned over him, her hands touching his arms gently.

“Charlie?”


	2. II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello, hello!  
I am kinda back from being dead, which is not to be mistaken with me not being dead (I’m totally gone). I didn’t have time to write, and then I remembered that I have part two of Au ready, so I might as well get it out :D  
Enjoy! <3

“Charlie?” she whispered, her voice impossibly vulnerable, as though the man was a family member or a close friend. She looked up to check on his vitals, then made sure he was laying comfortably, all the while holding his hand. Ethan felt like he was seeing something he shouldn’t, like he was interrupting.

“Claire?” he spoke slowly, lingering by the door, unsure if she wanted him there. Her head whipped back to him, her eyes filled with tears. His whole body longed to reach out for her and ease her pain, but he didn’t know what caused her distress, and he shouldn’t get that close to her. With all that in mind, he observed her, giving her all the time she needed.

“Do you remember what the car he was thrown out of looked like? Any details that might be helpful?” she finally started speaking, not leaving her spot.

“I can call the police, tell them everything, they will-“

“No, Ethan. You have to tell _me_. Not police, not security, _me._ Everything you know.” She interrupted him, her eyes becoming darker, like a storm taking over her green irises. A shiver ran down his spine, intriguing him, evoking the attraction that he tried to forget.

“Uh… okay, the car was black or navy, not sure since it was raining. It looked expensive and massive, windows were tinted… that’s all I remember- no, wait. There was something else. Some sort of a sign on the hood. It looked like a crescent moon with… clouds? Something like that.” He reminisced all the details he could picture in his mind, and when the last words left his mouth, a frown appeared on her face, her expression hardening.

“Thank you, Ethan.” She said as she squeezed man’s hand and went for the door, fishing her phone out of her coat pocket. He caught her wrist, staring at her in confusion.

“Do you know who is responsible?” he kept his voice low and quiet, not sure if they were in complete privacy. She gave him a tight nod, avoiding his eyes. “Are you going to call the police?”

“No. Police won’t do anything. I’m going to get it done alone.” She made a move to walk past him, but he pulled her right back, making her look at him. Her gaze was made of steel, dark and deadly.

“Let me go with you. I won’t be able to talk you out of it, the least I can do is keep you safe.” Ethan muttered under his breath, his tone gentle and caring. She laughed breathlessly, shaking her head a little.

“You don’t know what you’re getting into. And I can hold my own pretty good, you don’t have to protect me.” After a moment of hesitation, noticing flickers of determination in his eyes, the same ones he has when he cracks the case, she let out a long sigh. “You’re not going to let me go alone, are you?”

“You know me better than that, Claire.”

“Fine. But we’re doing this my way.” She looked down at his hand, still wrapped around her wrist. “Could you, um…”

As though he was woken up from a spell, he let her go, embarrassed by his actions. She laughed, choosing a number on her phone and starting the call. While she waited for the other person to pick up, she turned back to the bed, looking at the man with concern on her face. Ethan heard the signal being interrupted by a male voice on the other side of the line.

“How can I help you today?” the voice was muffled by the distance and the phone, so Ethan couldn’t be sure who she was talking to, but he thought he heard a foreign accent.

“Hey Luca, can you come pick me up? I have some matters that I need to take care of.” her tone was friendly when she started speaking, and then turned flat when she recalled what she was about to do.

“Sure thing, Boss. I’ll be there in five. Is there anything else I should be aware of?”

“Yes…” she looked back at Ethan, her forehead creasing as she thought about what to say next. “Dr. Ramsey is going to come with me. Also, while you’re at it, grab Joe with you. We might need him.” she ended the call, her hands moving to slide her white coat off her shoulders. He raised his eyebrow at her.

“What are you doing?” he took in her jeans and a pastel sweater, complimenting the light color of her hair. Her feet were adorned by a pair of flats, because it would be painful to get through the day in heels. Not impossible, but definitely painful.

“We’re heading out. I suggest you lose the coat too, we wouldn’t want it to get dirty.” Claire threw her hair to the back, feeling his stare at her. Turning back to him with a smirk, she let her eyes drag all over him, from bottom to the top. With a cheeky smile, she teased him. “Take it off, Ramsey.”

\---- ---- ----

The car pulled up to the parking behind the hospital. Ethan was confused by everything that happened that night, and it was about to get even more weird. A man got out, opening the door for them, empty expression on his face.

“Hello, Boss. Rough night?”

“You have no idea.” She smiled at him friendly, sitting in the comfortable seat of the car. Ethan stood to the side, unsure what he was supposed to do. The man shot him a look, his face unreadable.

“What do we do with this one?” his words may have been innocent, but they made Ethan freeze for a moment, nonetheless. Claire giggled, waving her hand invitingly.

“Dr. Ramsey is coming with us. Come on, we don’t have the whole night.” She encouraged him to get into the car, the mysterious man closing the door behind him. He sat next to her, observing his surroundings.

“Where are we going, Boss?” the driver asked, looking in the rearview mirror. His eyes met Ethan’s and he could have sworn he saw him glaring at him.

“We’re paying Qamar a visit.” She breathed heavily, her words enough for the driver to nod in understanding. “How is your family, Luca?”

“Good. Girls are asking about you, you should finally say yes to the dinner invitation.” He smiled, his whole posture relaxing as they left the difficult topic.

Ethan proceeded to listen to the conversation, not wanting to insert himself into something he didn’t understand. When he thought of it, maybe he should have stayed at the hospital, maybe he should have listened to Claire and her warnings. But his sense of protectiveness over the blonde woman sitting next to him was too great, eclipsing over everything else. There was no use in having regrets now, the decision was made, and all he could do now was watch the story unfold around him.

Claire seemed to have a close relationship with the two men, the atmosphere in the car seemed to loosen up right before his eyes. He didn’t understand for the life of him what was happening, he didn’t understand the roles both men played in her life. The fact that both seemed to call her ‘Boss’ told him that she most likely employed them, but for what reason, he couldn’t tell. His expression must have given him away, because he heard Claire’s giggle right next to him as she patted his hand encouragingly.

The rest of the car ride went in a relatively calm atmosphere, the topics of the conversation not making any sense to him. Between that and a calming sound of Claire’s voice, he couldn’t say he was completely comfortable with the situation he found himself in. And the night was about to get even more ridiculous than it already was.

As he learned, the other man was Joe, and from what he was told, he was Claire’s bodyguard. Yet another thing he didn’t understand, and at this point he didn’t even try to conceal his utter confusion. They stopped by some sort of a beauty salon. He fully expected the car to leave them, but Luca parked it and joined them, both him and Joe staying close to Claire. She looked over her shoulder to check on him, and when she saw him there, still standing and breathing, which in those circumstances was a win in anyone’s books, she winked at him playfully.

“I’ll try to make it as quick as possible. Do you want to stay here? Luca can keep you company, it can get messy in there.” she whispered, standing closer to him. He shook his head, their eyes meeting in the darkness of the street at night. “Okay then, come on. Let’s get this over with.”

Ethan half expected her to be nervous about what was about to happen, but she straightened her back, held her head high and entered the building. Joe went in after her, and Luca turned back, waiting for him to decide what he would do. He took a hesitant step in, following Claire.


	3. III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She definitely knows what's happening, and he's about to know too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello, hello!  
Guess what, it’s AU time. I figured that it might be a good idea to continue it, so I might upload the next part soon (if I remember cause I’m a mess but oh well)  
Enjoy! <3

Upon entering the room, he noticed three man sitting behind the counter. The moment they saw her walking in, they stood up, their posture stiff. One of them cleared their throat, moving to stand by the door leading to the back, the other two lowered their eyes, avoiding her.

“Greetings, chaps! Don’t let me disturb you, just looking for the head of the cartel, is he home?” she sent them a bright smile, maneuvering around the man guarding the way. Without giving him a second look, she moved past him. “Reggie?!”

Ethan took a second to gaze at three men, immediately regretting the decision. Deciding not to stay around and find out what would happen, he followed her along with Joe and Luca, feeling three pairs of eyes on his back. The room was dimly lit, a wooden desk was situated by the wall, and sitting on it was a man, around the age of 30, from what Ethan could see, he was probably strong, and looked dangerous. The sight of Claire, striding in, made his posture slump a bit, but he covered his surprise with a neutral face.

“Claire! To what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you at this ungodly hour of the night? Need anything?” he greeted her, a smile so fake his cheeks must have been hurting. Claire smiled back, her nose wrinkling as she made her way to stand before him.

“What have you been up to lately, Reggie? Any new deals you’d like to… report?” she dragged her words, leaning her head to the side. His expression seemed to have wavered a tiny bit and Ethan wondered what made him act the way he did. Something about the way Claire was handling the situation told him that she was in complete control of what was happening.

“No. Nothing to report.”

An enigmatic smile made its way onto Claire’s lips as she took another step in Reggie’s direction. Her hands were folded behind her back, a gesture that implied her innocence and pure motives. Or so it seemed.

“Are you sure? Because I have Charlie in the hospital right now. Resting after operation, fighting for his life because of a chemical poisoning. You sure you had nothing to do with it?” Her voice dropped a few octaves, taking on the coldest tone he’s ever heard. Dangerous and intimidating. Ethan registered how she mentioned poisoning, almost as though she knew exactly what was happening to his patient.

“Charlie? Oh no, that’s sad. But no, I didn’t do it. He’s one of ours, we don’t attack our own.” Reggie said, standing up in front of Claire, towering over her.

“It is sad, isn’t it? And yes, we don’t attack our own. Except…” she took one final step, they were standing face to face now. “… Charlie was thrown out of the car in front of the hospital. From a car that looked just like yours, and had a sign on the hood… just like this one.” she grabbed his hand forcefully, revealing a tattoo. Her grip seemed vicelike, when she turned around to look at Ethan, displaying the shape on Reggie’s hand to him. “Is this the sign you saw on the car?”

He focused his vision on the black ink, swirling around in the shape of a moon behind the clouds. A blurry memory filled his mind, the very same picture drawn onto the hood of the car in question. He moved his eyes to Claire’s nodding his head slightly in confirmation.

“Stop the bullshit, Reggie. I am a patient woman, but even my patience has its limits. Don’t test me. Did you, or did you not use that goddamn chemical to poison him?” she seethed, her eyes burning holes into his skull.

Reggie shifted ever so slightly, his arm rising rapidly, aiming a shot at her. Before he could land a punch, Ethan jumped in, catching his hand midair. That, in turn, caused the attacker to push him onto the wall, his anger now directed at the attending. His hand curled into a fist, a scowl on his face, inches from hitting Ethan, when a strike came from the side, causing Reggie to stumble backwards and fall onto the nearest chair.

Ethan opened his eyes, unsure what exactly happened, when he noticed Claire’s fist, still in the position it went into after she landed a punch, her face twisted into a furious glare. Joe and Luca moved forward, but she raised her hand and shook her head, calling them off. With that, she moved slowly to Ethan, her face softening slightly as she took his hand in hers.

“Are you okay?” she muttered, worry lacing her voice. He nodded wordlessly, and was about to say something, when a scoff broke the silence. Reggie laughed slightly, sarcastically.

“Are you getting soft, Boss?” he taunted her, the side of his face reddening in the place she hit him. “And since when are you wearing light colors?” he asked, his speech slurred by the blow she dealt him only moments earlier. “You’re pretending to be someone you’re not? What, too ashamed that you are filthy and a bi-“

He was cut off by her hand slapping the side of his face, her nails scraping his nose, blood pooling in the wound. She leaned in, looking him dead in the eye, her voice dangerously low.

“Get blood on my sweater and you will see just how much of a bitch I can be.”

Ethan felt, for what seemed to be a hundredth time that night, a shiver running down his spine, making his blood run cold. All those people, repeatedly calling her ‘the Boss’ made him wonder if she didn’t have anything dangerous going on.

“I’m going to ask you one last time, Reggie, before I decide I no longer care and let Joe handle you. Did you, or did you not, poison Charlie and then leave him before the hospital to die?” she spoke through her teeth, getting impatient. He took a deep breath without answering, looking her dead in the eye.

“It was me.”

She remained speechless as she continued to stare at him. Reggie’s body shook under the intensity of her gaze, and since he was still dizzy from the previous hits, he didn’t have the time to react when she slapped him again.

“That’s not how it’s supposed to work, Reggie! Why would you do that, you know what that chemical does, you know what it _did._” despite her confidence, Ethan could see a little chip in her resolve. No matter what, he hoped he was the only one to recognize it for what it was.

“Don’t take it personal, Boss. Strictly business. They paid, I did the job.”

At his words, Claire grabbed his chin in her hands, her knuckles turning white from the force. Reggie panted heavily, pain and fear slowly seeping into his eyes. His breathing got elevated, his gaze running away from her.

“You… sentenced Charlie to death… _for money?_” she laughed humorlessly, leaning back and standing straight. “Who paid you off? And you better not lie to me, or I swear to god, Reggie, I will torture you until you don’t remember anything else than Charlie’s name.” she warned, still looking at him, still waiting for an answer.

“Aradia.” He muttered under his breath. Claire scoffed.

“Excuse me, I didn’t hear you. It’s not like you’re embarrassed of working with them, are you? Louder.”

“_Aradia.”_ He gulped before repeating, avoiding her yet again. She nodded, turning to Joe, giving him a knowing look. He shook her hand, blinking at her in understanding.

“Thank you, Joe. That will be all. Have a good night and get home safe, okay? Luca?” she waved her finger, leaving the room with a confident stride. Ethan followed, not giving Reggie another look.

Once outside, Luca opened the door of the car to Claire, staring at Ethan with a question in his gaze. He hurried to get inside, sinking into the soft seat with a heavy sigh. Claire was observing him with concern, keeping her distance.

“I’m sure you have a lot of questions. I didn’t want you to find out… like this. I also understand if you don’t want anything to do with me, we can drop you off at your apartment and never speak of this again.” she whispered, her face pensive.

“What is the other choice?” he tried, breathing in deeply.

“I could take you to my place… explain everything. Answer your questions.”

“Aren’t you living with your friends? I don’t see it as a good place to talk about… _that_.” He pointed to the back, referencing what happened at the salon they just left behind. She laughed, a very first, real laugh she gave out since they left the hospital that night.

“Oh, you are in for a surprise. So, which one is it going to be?” she questioned, raising her eyebrow playfully. When she looked at him like that, there was no way he could say no to her.

“You’ve got me intrigued, Rookie.”

She offered him a charming smile, turning to Luca.

“Can you make a detour to the hospital before we go home? We need to take our stuff.”


	4. IV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Secrets are beginning to come to light

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello, hello!  
HAPPY NEW YEAR MY LOVES! I hope this next year brings only smiles and friends into your life, all the happiness and love you want and need <3  
We’re kicking this year off with AU, because I can :D Slowly but surely, we’re uncovering just what exactly is Claire hiding, and it’s a fun ride if I do say so myself  
Enjoy! <3

Luca pulled up to the back entrance of the hospital, looking around for a place to park. His eyes went to the rearview mirror, observing his boss. She was sitting comfortably, chatting with ‘Dr. Ramsey’, or so she called him. The gazes he sent Claire when he thought no one was looking were familiar to him. After all, those were exactly the same emotions Luca himself had when he looked at his own wife. That Ramsey guy was far gone for his boss, and there was no denying that. Claire turned to the front of the car, smiling at Luca brightly.

“Wait here, we’ll be back in a few minutes. And check on Joe, would you? He should be done by now.” she said calmly, her voice getting colder as a memory of what happened a mere hour ago came back into her mind. He nodded, saluting her playfully.

“You’ve got it, Boss.”

Ethan got out of the car after her, not missing the look Luca gave him. It was a complex one, one that he couldn’t exactly dissect or understand completely, but definitely carried with it the protectiveness and some sense of… pity? Shaking his head, he followed Claire to the hospital, deciding not to dwell on it too much.

Hospital at five in the morning wasn’t as busy as during the day, doctors going through their graveyard shifts quietly, most of the patients sleeping. Ethan moved quietly through the halls with Claire without saying a word. They agreed to split, with him going to his office to grab his things and her checking on Charlie before going to the locker room to get her stuff. After that, they were supposed to meet out back again, but because he was faster, he went to the locker room to wait for her there. Her blonde hair was still tucked into the braid when she came into the view, her white coat back on her body. Her eyes sparked up when she saw him, a smirk tugging on the corners of her lips.

“You’re a fast one, aren’t you, Dr. Ramsey.” She laughed, walking towards her locker. He stayed put, observing her from the sidelines as she took her coat off, smoothing it out on the hanger before putting it into the locker. Her shoes came next, leaning down to take her flats off and put her heels on. His eyes were glued to her, and when she stood back up, she threw him a playful look over her shoulder, biting her lip a little. Her fingers undid the braid, letting her hair fall freely from it, framing her face delicately.

“You ready to go?” she asked a moment later, grabbing her purse and closing the locker. He nodded his head slightly, almost as though he was pulled out from the dreamy haze. Her heels clicked against the floor as she walked, a rhythmical sound giving him something to focus on, anything, just to not think about mess of a situation he witnessed earlier. Luca opened the door for them, wordlessly closing them after they got inside, starting the car. Ethan decided to break the silence, not even music could soothe his mind.

“So, you’re not living with your friends anymore?” he spoke, clearing his throat near the end of the sentence. She shook her head, leaning back against her seat.

“Even when I was living with them, I had my own place. I needed some place to live in like a normal person, and my house… would make it difficult. You’ll see for yourself in a moment.”

\----- ----- -----

Ten minutes later, the car took a turn off the main road, getting lost in the thick forest. The sun was slowly rising out from the horizon, water reflecting its light. A mansion came into the view, concealed from the public view by trees and bushes. Despite that, the house seemed to have a private beach, its own big garden and a pool. Luca stopped the car in front of the house, turning around to face them.

“We’re here, Boss. I called Joe, he’s home, everything taken care of. I’ll be heading home if that’s all.” He reported, his eyes trained on Claire. She nodded with a relieved smile.

“Thank you, Luca, get home to your family. Kiss the girls from me?”

“You got it, Boss. Same time as on all days off or is there any…” his eyes ran to Ethan for a moment, a slight smirk on his lips. “… possible change of plans?”

Claire laughed slightly, shrugging her shoulders a little.

“You never know. If there is any change of plans, I’ll let you know. Have a good night, Luca.”

“You too, Claire. Oh! I talked to your maid, she said that she didn’t have time to clean the guest room after Liam left yesterday.” He winked and with that, he drove off.

Ethan’s mind was racing at the mention of another name, but he didn’t have time to question it, for Claire was already moving towards the front door. Lights came on when they sensed motion, and seconds later, door fell open, letting them in. He took in surroundings, the room overwhelmingly breathtaking. He turned to her, only to see her taking her shoes off, her bare feet touching the ground. He mirrored her actions, still looking around.

“Rookie, enlighten me, because I am utterly lost. You have this _mansion_, and you called my house _nice?_ My apartment is the size of three rooms in here!” he laughed, staring at her. She giggled, touching his shoulder softly as she moved past him.

“I like your apartment! The view is to die for, the rooms are amazing, and the localization is great. Besides, I couldn’t just come into your apartment and say ‘Your apartment is great, but you should see my mansion.’” She hurried to explain, shaking her head slightly.

He took a breath to argue back, when he heard a loud hiss, followed by a sound of paws scratching against the floor. He looked down, only to see three cats, running away in frenzy from him, their tails high and voluminous, indicating they got scared. By what, he couldn’t tell, but Claire crouched, laughing a little as she called for them.

“Jack! Meredith! Archer! Come here, he doesn’t bite! Or, he does, but not cats!” she sent a sly grin his way, a double meaning of her words resounding.

“Are they scared of me?” he asked, leaning down next to her. She nodded her head gently.

“They are scared of about half of people they don’t know.”

“And the other half?”

“They other half gets scratched the second they come into the room. I guess you got lucky.” She stood up, squeezing his shoulder. “Come on, I’ll give you a short tour of the ground floor while the water in the pot boils for pasta.” She moved into the kitchen, getting the said pot going, before coming back to him.

She stood in front of the entrance to the kitchen, smiling brightly at him. Her hands framed the sight before him, her face twisting into the playful grin.

“This is my kitchen; all the cooking and late-night snacks happen here.”

“You don’t say, Rookie.” He mused, following her into the living room. Claire sat down at the back of the couch, her hands on either side of her legs.

“The living room and dining room, many late nights with files, many parties, many evenings with cats and tea.” She recalled, pointing towards the glass door. “This is the way to the beach, want to take a stroll?”

Various images flashed in his mind, flying right before his eyes. The way her hair would look in the dim light of the dawn, the way water would wash against their feet, the way his arms would wrap around her-

He shook his head, both to stop his trail of thoughts and to answer her question. There would be time to go to the beach, or at least, he hoped so. For now, he needed to get some answers, or he would go insane.

They moved on to the library, walls lined with books upon books, a small couch in the middle of the room, small lamp illuminating the room. Ethan ran his hands over the spines of multiple tomes, noticing the familiar one among them. He pulled it out, turning to her with a smug expression.

“You still have it?” he asked, his eyebrow lifting slightly. She stood by his side, looking at the book.

“This copy is six years old. I’ve read it so many times, it’s a miracle it’s still in such a good shape.” He opened it, searching for the note he wrote in it on the first day… only to find it empty.

“Where’s the note I wrote you?”

“It wasn’t my book. It was Landry’s.” she shivered at an unpleasant memory. A look of confusion twisted his features.

“Whose?” Ethan asked, making Claire laugh so loudly and strongly she had to lean onto him to catch her breath.

“He would be so pissed if he heard you say that. But yes, your note is in his book… what a pity.” Claire mused, taking the tome from his hands and putting it back onto the shelf.

“I’ll write you a new one, one day.”

\----- ----- -----

They made their way back to the kitchen. Ethan sat down on the bar stool, watching as Claire worked behind the counter. She rolled up the sleeves of her sweater, her hair on top of her head in a bun. She was cutting chicken into smaller pieces when three cats returned, jumping and rubbing against her legs, fighting for attention. She gathered a few pieces into her hands, turning to Ethan.

“Want to see something fun?” she asked playfully, throwing pieces onto the floor. Jack and Archer growled at each other, throwing themselves at their food, their paws covering small cubes in a frantic fight. Meredith stayed back, watching the other two with curious eyes. As fast as they appeared, they ran away, leaving Ethan and Claire alone again.

“Do they do that often?” he wondered, tapping his fingers against the countertop. She finished preparing their food, turning around to get their tea ready.

“All the time. You get used to it, even though it’s always equally entertaining. Now, come on, we’ll eat on the couch.”

He took their plates, while she took their cups, full of steaming liquid. When she put them down, he noticed slight traces on her wrist. He touched it slightly, running his thumb over it. His eyes asked a silent question, and she went to the bathroom to get a makeup wipe. Taking off the concealer, she revealed a tattoo. A snowflake, colored with blue and purple colors, swirling around the black lines that formed the shape. He stroked her skin there, sending a shiver through her body.

“How did I not see it before?”

“I covered it with makeup, the risk of getting it recognized was too high.” She took her hand away, lacing her fingers together.

“What does that mean?” he muttered under his breath, letting her have all the time she needed to start talking. After a moment of silence, she exhaled loudly, her eyes trained on the tattoo.

“It’s a symbol. A symbol of my cartel.” She raised her green irises to meet his blue ones, seeing shock mixed with worry. “I’m the head of the biggest drug cartel in USA.”


End file.
